Zuri's Family Tree: An Adoption Story
by ZoeLoe17
Summary: At first, Zuri's excited about her Family Tree assignment for school, but then she gets more and more anxious as she realizes her family isn't like everyone else's. Will she have the courage to share what makes her unique?
1. Chapter 1: The Big Project

Zuri and her best friend, Charlotte, walked down the streets of Manhattan one chilly October afternoon. School had just let out, and both girls were excited about their newest assignment.  
"I can't wait to ask my mom about my family tree!" Charlotte said. "She's told me some cool stuff about my family before, like how my great-great-great-great grandfather sailed on the Mayflower, or how one of my distant cousins fought for women's rights back in the early 1900's. It's going to be so fun tracking it all down."  
Zuri nodded. "I don't know much about my family's history, but-" she stopped.  
"What is it?" Charlotte asked.  
"Ohh...Charlotte, I'm adopted!"  
"So, what does that matter?" All of Zuri's friends, including Charlotte, thought that it was so cool Zuri had been born in Africa and adopted when she was a baby.  
Zuri shook her head. "It matters because I don't know anything about my family tree. And my parents won't know anything either. I don't even know my real birthday." Her heart sank.

Zuri was proud to be adopted. She loved the culture she came from. She loved celebrating her Gotcha Day. She loved her own uniqueness. But, at times like these, Zuri just wanted to be like everyone else. When she was younger, Zuri hated having to explain over and over again why she didn't look like the rest of her family. Sometimes, the kids didn't even understand. "What's 'adopted'?" they would ask. Now that she was in 3rd grade, most kids understood that she was adopted without even having to ask. But even then, some cruel kids were mean about it. At times like those, Zuri just wished she looked like the rest of her family. Or better yet, that kids just wouldn't be so mean.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Charlotte replied encouragingly. "Just write about the family you've got. Your parents are movie stars! Everyone will love your presentation!"

Zuri smiled as she imagined everyone clapping for her project the loudest. "I guess."

But as the two trudged along, her heart filled with dread.

**Chapter 2 coming soon! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Posho and Beans

Zuri ran upstairs to her room as soon as she got home and flunked herself down on her bed. She was glad that it was Friday - she had a whole weekend to think the project over until having to start it on Monday. Zuri decided she wouldn't tell her parents or Jessie about the project until she figured out what to do. She grabbed her sketchpad from her desk and decided to doodle as she thought.

She could make up the family stories. No one would know...

"Zuri!" It was Jessie calling from downstairs. "How was school? Come down and have a snack!" Zuri groaned as she trudged down the stairs. Before she even stepped in the kitchen, she knew that her family was having Ugandan food later tonight. Even though Zuri couldn't remember living in Uganda, as she was adopted when she was a baby, the smell of food was sweet and familiar. It soothed her, but at the same time, filled her with anxiety - another thing to remind her of her adoption and that dumb project!  
Stepping in the kitchen, Zuri saw her mother, the famous Christina Ross, cooking _posho_ and beans. Zuri saw packages of uncooked beef, peanuts, and banana leaves on the counter, too. That meant _luwombo_, Zuri's favorite Ugandan food, would also be made tonight!

Every month, the Ross family had a special family dinner of either Ugandan (to celebrate Zuri's home country) or Indian (to celebrate Ravi's home country) food. Luke was also adopted, but from here in the USA, so he had always been used to eating American food.  
The fact that the whole family would be having dinner tonight was an occasion, too. Because Christina and Morgan Ross were famous, they were often very busy traveling around the world or shooting movies and such. So, family dinners were very special.

Zuri sat down with her 3 siblings at the table to have a snack of fruit salad. Jessie was always trying to feed them healthy snacks, which the Ross parents liked. Zuri would have liked to have something like ice cream or cookies for snack, but she couldn't deny that the fruit salad was delicious.

"What were doing all alone in your room, sweetie?" Mom asked. Zuri shrugged. "Just thinking over some stuff. I have a school project coming soon and it's pretty hard."  
"What is it? You're only 8, it can't be that bad!" Zuri's sister, Emma, questioned.  
"Uh...something about...animal...families...and trees." Zuri thought she could disguise the project without actually having to lie. But Emma caught the words.  
"Oh, the big family tree project for 3rd grade! I loved that!"

The project was exposed! "Yeah..." Zuri mumbled.  
Mom looked up from her cooking. "I have so many interesting stories about the Ross family, Zuri. Everyone loved them when Emma did her project!"

"But..." Zuri stopped. Maybe she could just ignore the fact she was adopted. Emma and Mom didn't seem to acknowledge it. But Zuri had been bullied before, and she knew some smart-aleck kid would make a mean comment or laugh at her. They would say, "You aren't actually related to them, Zuri! Why don't you talk about your _real_ family?"

"I'm not very hungry anymore," Zuri said, excusing herself from the table.

**Thanks for all the kind reviews for Chapter 1. Please review this one for Chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter 3: A REAL Family

**Sorry it took me this long to write the 3rd chapter! I've been busy with school. Thank you for all the kind reviews - keep em' coming! **

Zuri had kept a fake smile on her face the whole day. She had always loved and embraced her adoption - why was she so ashamed of it now?  
She couldn't even sleep that night. Zuri crept down the stairs at about midnight and into the living room. Her fingers traced the spines of the family albums on the bookshelf. She pulled out her favorite, a small green one with red and yellow trim. The album in arm, she curled up on the couch and began to flip through it. All the pages were beautifully decorated with African detailing and Ugandan lettering.

The first page - Zuri's referral picture. This was the picture that the Rosses got before Zuri came to live with them. There baby Zuri was, laying on the ground in a diaper, with big brown eyes and fuzzy brown hair. The next page showed the Rosses in Uganda meeting Zuri for the first time, and the following pages were about Zuri coming home and her first year in America.

"Zuri? What are you doing awake?" Jessie! Oh no!

"I'm sorry Jessie! I just couldn't sleep!" Zuri cried.

"Aww, it's okay sweetie. Do you miss your parents?" Morgan and Christina had left earlier, soon after dinner to fly to a movie set.

Zuri shrugged. "Um...sort of."

Jessi came down to sit by Zuri. Zuri had to laugh at her funny cow slippers that "moo'd" every time she took a step. That reminded Jessie of her home, way down south, just as Zuri was reminded of Uganda.

"So what are you looking at?" Jessie asked.

Zuri passed the book to Jessie. "Look yourself." Jessie passed a sympathetic look to Zuri.

"I just don't know what to do Jessie! I have this big family tree project coming up for school, and we have to present it for the class! But...I'm adopted, and I'm scared kids will tease me just as they always do when I have to tell the mean kids I'm adopted. I'm worried...I'm worried that if I talk about the history of the Ross family in my presentation...I won't be talking about my _real_ family."

"We ARE your real family, Zuri!" Emma said from behind. Zuri whirled around. Emma, Luke, Ravi, and even Mr. Kipling were all awake now too!

"Zuri," Emma repeated, coming to sit next to her little sister. "I remember when you first came home. I was 5 years old. And I was SO excited to have a little sister. And I could _never_ ask for a better one than you. Just because you, Ravi, and Luke are adopted, _doesn't_ mean you aren't my real siblings! You may not be biologically related, but what does that matter? You ARE a Ross."

"Yeah," Luke offered. "Remember that story Mom used to read to us? '_For finding your mother, there is one certain test. You must find the creature who loves you bes_t.' "

Zuri remembered. "Yeah! Little Miss Spider!"

"See, Zuri?" Emma continued. "You have real parents. That's mom and dad. And you have a real sister and real brothers. And they all love you!"

Zuri smiled, but then stopped. "But what will I do if kids make fun of me?"

Now it was Ravi's turn to speak. "Just act like it's no big deal. They probably won't even care. But if they do, ask them if they're jealous."

"Besides," Jessie said. "You're parents are movie stars. All the kids are going to love hearing about that. We'll help you talk about the Ross family in your presentation but we'll also add in your adoption. You can take this photo album to school and share it. I'm sure the kids will love it.

"You think so?" Zuri grinned. "Okay! Let's get our family research on!"

**Chapter 4 (final chapter!) coming soon!**


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